Apparatus for making composition logs by compressing particles

Abstract

Compacting apparatus for making composition logs from particulate matter includes a compression chamber having a precompression chamber axially aligned on one end of the compression chamber and a feed mechanism for feeding particulate matter for loading into the precompression chamber for compression ultimately in the compression chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Particulate compacting apparatus, in combination, comprising: a base having a filling station, a compression station and a discharge station;   a frame having an axis of rotation and mounted rotatably on the base;   a plurality of compression chambers mounted on the frame;   a filling subassembly mounted at the filling station for successively filling the compression chambers with particulate material and for precompressing the particulate material;   a compression subassembly mounted at the compression station for further compressing the particulate material;   indexing drive means mounted on the base for advancing the frame stepwise to advance the compression chambers from station to station; and   a discharge subassembly mounted at the discharge station cooperative with the compression chambers for successively discharging the logs therefrom.   
     
     
       2. The compacting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame is annular and the compression chambers are mounted on the frame in a circle. 
     
     
       3. The compacting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the compression chambers each include a bore having longitudinal axis and the chambers are mounted with their longitudinal axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the frame. 
     
     
       4. The compacting apparatus of claim 3 wherein the tube bores of the compression chambers are tapered along their longitudinal axes. 
     
     
       5. The compacting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filling subassembly comprises a charging tube aligned with the compression chamber at the filling station, and a charging screw rotatably mounted in the charging tube. 
     
     
       6. The compacting apparatus of claim 5 wherein the charging screw is slidably mounted in the charging tube and is insertable into the compression chamber. 
     
     
       7. The compacting apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the compression chambers have both ends thereof open; and   the compacting apparatus further comprises a housing attached to the base, covering both ends of the compression chambers, and having holes therein to allow access to the compression chambers at the filling station, compression station and discharge station.   
     
     
       8. The compacting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filling subassembly and the compression subassembly are coincidently aligned with the same compression chamber. 
     
     
       9. The compacting apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a gate valve operable to block the end of the compression chamber which is adjacent the filling subassembly. 
     
     
       10. The compacting apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a precompression chamber mounted at the compression station. 
     
     
       11. The compacting apparatus of claim 10 wherein the filling means is operable to deposit and precompress particulate material in the precompression and compression chambers. 
     
     
       12. The compacting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indexing drive means comprises a ratchet mounted on the base and engageable with the frame; and a stop means operable to lock the frame at the completion of the indexing movement. 
     
     
       13. The compacting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the discharge subassembly comprises a discharge ram mounted on the base and operable to successively extend through each compression chamber. 
     
     
       14. The compacting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising temperature altering means adjacent to the exterior of each compression chamber. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus for compacting particulate material comprising: a base;   an annular frame mounted rotatably on the base;   a plurality of compression chambers mounted in a circle on the frame, each compression chamber including a bore having a first open end and a second open end and a longitudinal axis between the first and second ends;   a housing attached to the base and covering the ends of the compression chambers;   a first opening in the housing dimensioned to sequentially communicate with the first end of each of the compression chambers as the frame is rotated;   a tube, having a cross section similar to the bores of the compression chambers, attached to the housing at the first opening along the longitudinal axis of the compression chamber forming a precompression chamber;   a compression ram slidably mounted in the precompression chamber;   a second opening in the housing opposite the first opening and communicating with the second ends of each of the compression chambers;   a gate valve operable to selectively close the second opening;   a feeding tube extending outwardly from the second opening along the axis of the compression chamber;   a feed screw in the feed tube operable to move longitudinally in the feed tube, compression chamber and precompression chamber;   feed means for supplying particulate material to the feed tube;   a third opening in the housing;   a discharge ram aligned with and operable to move through the third opening;   a fourth opening in the housing opposite the third opening dimensioned to allow discharge of the compacted particulate material formed in the compression chambers as the compression chambers are sequentially aligned therewith as the front rotates; and   a means for indexing the frame to bring the compression chambers into successive alignment with the precompression chamber and charging tube and with the third and fourth openings and the discharge ram.   
     
     
       16. The compacting apparatus of claim 15 in which the bores of the compression chambers are tapered along the longitudinal axis between the first open ends and the second open ends. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the length of the precompression cylinder is greater than the length of a compression chamber. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus for compressing particulate matter to form a solid element, comprising, in combination: compression cylinder means in which particulate matter is compressed, including precompression cylinder means,   compression die means aligned with and movable relative to the precompression cylinder means and having a first opening communicating with the precompression cylinder means and a second opening remote from the precompression cylinder means,   cylinder head means closing the second opening of the compression die means while the particulate matter is being compressed, and   means closing the first opening of the compression die means after the particulate matter is compressed;     loading means for loading particulate matter into the compression cylinder means; and   compression means for compressing the particulate matter in the precompression cylinder means and in the compression die means.   
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the compression die means includes a compression cylinder having a linearly tapered bore. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the precompression cylinder means includes a precompression cylinder having a bore disposed adjacent to and aligned with the bore of the compression cylinder. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the length of the bore of the precompression cylinder is substantially longer than the length of the bore of the compression cylinder. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 21 in which the particulate matter loaded into the precompression cylinder by the load means is compressed into the compression cylinder by the compression means. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 22 in which the load means includes an auger having an axis of rotation and is rotatable about its axis of rotation and movable longitudinally along its axis of rotation for conveying particulate matter to be compressed into the compression cylinder and into the precompression cylinder. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 23 in which the bore of the precompression cylinder has a first end and a second end, and the tapered bore of the compression cylinder has a first end and a second end, and the first end of the compression cylinder is disposed adjacent to the second end of the precompression cylinder. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which the diameter of the tapered bore of the second end of the compression cylinder is greater than the diameter of the first end of the compression cylinder. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the compression means is disposed adjacent to the first end of the precompression cylinder. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 26 in which the load means is disposed adjacent to the second end of the compression cylinder and the auger moves longitudinally through the compression cylinder and into the precompression cylinder. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of claim 22 in which the precompression cylinder means includes a cylinder segment movable upwardly and downwardly to allow particulate matter to be disposed directly into the precompression cylinder, and the feed means is disposed adjacent to the precompression cylinder. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 28 in which the cylinder segment of the precompression cylinder means further comprises means for precompressing the particulate matter in the precompression cylinder as it moves downwardly. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim 29 in which the compression means includes a piston movable through the precompression cylinder for compressing the particulate matter into the compression die means after precompression by the cylinder segment. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the loading means extends into the compression cylinder means to load particulate matter into the compression cylinder means. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of claim 29 in which the loading means further comprises means for precompressing the particulate matter in the precompression cylinder means and in the compression die means. 
     
     
       33. The apparatus of claim 30 in which the loading means further comprises auger means for loading particulate matter into the compression cylinder means and movable into the compression cylinder means for loading and movable out of the compressing cylinder means upon reaching a predetermined back pressure of the particulate matter being loaded in the compression cylinder means. 
     
     
       34. The apparatus of claim 31 in which the compression means comprises piston means movable through the precompression cylinder for compressing the particulate matter from the precompression cylinder into the compression die means.